Heartbroken
by lilactorgirl224
Summary: Mulder and Scully investigate the murders of three women who reported seeing bodies six hours before they died. Their murders are not when they seem...MSR
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is actually based upon a dream that I had. I decided to embellish it and make it into a fan fiction for the X-FILES, as it seemed very appropriate. Please R &R. **

**SPOILERS: Brief spoilers for the show through MILLENNIUM (Season 7).**

 **OBLIGATORY: I do not own any of the characters from X-FILES. If I did, the show would have been MUCH different.**

CHAPTER 1 (Scully's POV)

With a deep sigh, I pushed the door open with my elbows. I held two coffees. Despite my annoyance with Mulder for calling me into the office at six in the morning, I was not willing to show up with coffee only for myself. As the door opened, Mulder turned from behind the desk. He smiled broadly and stood, quickly stepping over to me. "Good morning, Starshine!" he said, much more perky than he had any right to be. He took one of the coffees from my hands and took a deep gulp.

Stifling a yawn, I responded, "I don't feel very shiny this early." Mulder smiled at that and headed back to his desk. "Have you already had your coffee, Mulder?"

Mulder shook his head, taking another gulp. "Nope – this is a natural high, Scully." He held up a file. I walked over to his desk and sat, sipping my coffee. Mulder began pacing the room, explaining, "We have a new case! And this one…." He chuckled. "This one is fascinating!"

"Define 'fascinating," I said tentatively.

"So three months ago, a young woman in the suburbs of Richmond called 9-1-1." He picked up a tape recorder and hit Play.

 _9-1-1, What's your emergency?_

 _H-hello? Um… I… I'm on highway 60, a-and… m-my car…_

There was a long pause.

 _Hello? Ma'am? Are you still there?_

 _Y-yes… I'm sorry, it's just… I was driving…._

 _Were you in an accident?_

 _N-no! I mean, my car is a little banged up… b-but I'm calling b-because... There are bodies on the road!_

Mulder gave a triumphant smirk.

 _Did you just say there are bodies on route 60?_

 _Y-yes! There… God, there are… There're piles of bodies…_

With that, Mulder hit Stop. "This phone call was made at four o'clock in the afternoon in a fairly busy area. No one else reported these bodies. When the police came to investigate, they found nothing and the young woman who called had disappeared." He handed me a file. "Six hours later, she was found. Dead."

I opened the file and glanced through the notes. "She suffocated?"

"Yes, but get this: there were no marks on her neck." Mulder pointed to the picture that showed no damage to her neck area. "She was found in a wedding dress that was so tight it had crushed her upper torso, causing suffocation. " He turned back to his desk and picked up two more files. "Then, two months ago the same thing happened – a young woman called 9-1-1 to report bodies but showed up suffocated with identical wounds six hours later. Then it happened again last month. Different highways, but always the same thing."

"Okay… we definitely have a serial killer. But other than the victims' hallucinations of bodies on the highways, what makes this an X-File?"

"I was waiting for you to ask me that," Mulder replied. He reached back and pulled six more files. "These are files on murders just like these three… only these were back in the 1920s. I did some research, and before that around the time of the Civil War there were reports of deaths similar to these. Unfortunately we don't have the reports for those."

"So… we're going to Charlottesville?" I asked.

Grinning widely, Mulder nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 (Mulder's POV)

I held the door for Scully as we walked into the Charlottesville police station.

A detective in her late thirties came up. "Agents Mulder and Scully?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am… You're Detective DuMaurrier?" She nodded and we all shook hands. "We'd like to go ahead and take a look at everything you have."

Detective DeMaurrier nodded. "I wish we had more to show you."

"You got information on that person I asked about?" I asked.

"Yes… Although I'm still not sure exactly why you wanted it," she admitted.

Frowning slightly, Scully asked in a low voice, "Who?"

In an equally low voice, I responded: "Hannah Ford." She gave me a quizzical look. Under my breath I explained, "According to my research, a Hannah Ford committed suicide by hanging about two weeks before the murders in the Civil War era. She died _in a wedding dress_." I paused. "And… there were rumors that she was a witch."

Scully gave me one of her skeptical looks. "Really, Mulder? A witch ghost?"

I gave a small smile. "A _jilted lover_ witch ghost, Scully."

Scully rolled her eyes as we headed into the room Detective DeMaurrier had set up for us. She found the pile of information on Hannah Ford and pushed it toward me. " _You_ get to look at that. I'm going to look at the most recent cases." Nodding, I began to sort through the information.

Hannah Ford's mother had been widowed when Hannah was only five. There were whispers that she practiced witchcraft, but nothing had been proven definitively. Nevertheless Hannah and her mother were both social outcasts. Hannah was eventually able to distinguish herself from her mother and get work in the kitchen of an upper-class family house. While rumors that Hannah had followed in her mother's footsteps, again nothing could be substantiated.

After a few years, the family in whose house Hannah worked had close friends stay for the summer. The family had a son who was give years older then Hannah. There were rumors of an affair, but as with the accusations of witchcraft, nothing was proven. At the end of the summer he left with his family. The very next night Hannah was found hanging in her room, dressed in a wedding gown.

After a couple of hours, I glanced over at Scully and saw that her eyes were nearly closed and her head kept nodding slightly. Poor thing – she was probably exhausted. We had stayed late at the office last night finishing paperwork and I dragged her out of bed early this morning.

"Scully… I'm not sure we'll get much out of these today. Why don't you go to the hotel and get some rest? I'll meet you there in a couple of hours."

"You sure?" she replied half-heartedly, clearly wanting to take me up on the offer.

"I'll see you there," I responded. "Drive safely."

"Always do," she said, rising and heading to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 (Scully's POV)

As I turned on the engine, I yawned and stretched. _Thank you, Mulder…_ I thought as I turned on the radio to help keep me awake. Finally deciding on one station, I began making my way toward the hotel.

I was back on the highway, thankful to be able to pick up my speed a little. I was looking forward to getting to the hotel and maybe taking a warm bath…

I glanced ahead and froze.

I saw piles of bodies: three or four curled in fetal positions beside each other and two other bodies laid on top. They were staggered in different lanes, so I had to swerve to avoid hitting them. This meant weaving in and out of traffic, narrowly avoiding multiple cars.

Finally I managed to pull my car off to the side of the road and park. After taking a few deep breaths, I felt somewhat better, but I was still shaking. Biting my lip, I pulled out my cellphone.

Luckily, it only rang twice before a familiar voice answered. "Mulder."

Sighing deeply, I responded, "It's me…" I paused, trying to figure out how to explain this to him.

"… Scully? Are you okay?"

Swallowing hard, I answered, "Um…. I think so."

"What happened?" Again I didn't answer. "Scully?"

"Mulder… I'm on the side of Route 60."

I could hear him rise out of his chair. "Were you in an accident? Are you okay?"

"No – there was no accident, Mulder…"

"Scully… you've got to talk to me. What's going on?"

Finally I managed to tell him. "I... I saw bodies. That's…. why I'm on the side of the road. I had to swerve in between lanes so I didn't h-hit them…"

After a brief pause, Mulder responded. "Scully… Are you still in the car?"

"No…"

"I want you to get back in the car, Scully. Roll up the windows and lock all the doors. Stay there until I find you. What exit are you near?"

"Exit 70."

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Don't leave that spot, Scully." With that he hung up.

I hung up too, biting my thumbnail. I headed back to the car. I had just opened the door when I saw a woman in her early fifties a little ways away from me, watching me intently. Our eyes locked, and she turned and started to walk away.

"Excuse me," I called. She continued walking, not looking at me but walking slowly enough that she was clearly not running away. I quickly caught up with her. "Excuse me… ma'am?"

She turned and faced me. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Feeling slightly sheepish, I said, "Well… there are bodies… piled in the road. Do… do you know what it means? Why they're there?"

She gave a stern look and replied simply, "There are some things you wouldn't be able to understand." With that she turned and began walking again, still moving slowly enough that she was allowing me to follow her.

"My name is Dana Scully… I'm an FBI agent. If you know anything, I need you to tell me."

She brought us to a small cottage and opened the door. She left it open as she walked in. Taking this as an invitation to follow her, I stepped inside as well. She stepped up to the kitchen sink and turned the water on, rinsing her hands and washing her face. She grabbed a paper towel and dried off her face.

I was about to press her more for information, but noticed something on the back of a chair. It was bright white, and it looked so soft.

Only half-aware of my actions, I stepped toward the chair and picked up the white object. It was a dress made of satin and lace. It was as soft in my hands as I had thought it would be. I felt a strong compulsion to put on the dress. Slowly I began to slide the dress over my head when I suddenly remembered what Mulder had told me about the women who were killed.

 _They saw bodies._

 _They had wedding dresses on._

 _Their ribs and lungs were crushed._

A flash of clarity hit me, but the woman said, "Too late." I tried to pull the dress back over my head but could not. The skirt of the dress fell to the floor. I took a short breath. Then there was a splitting pain all around my upper torso as the top of the dress shrank. I began struggling to breathe. I clawed at the satin, trying to pull it off of me, but it was useless.

The woman was no longer in her early fifties. She was a few years younger than I. She watched me as I collapsed on the floor, gasping for air. She walked toward me with a look almost of pity. "Shh… don't fight. It won't hurt as much if you don't fight."

Unable to speak, to plead for my life, I silently prayed Mulder would find me as the world went black…


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 (Mulder's POV)

I found the rental car easily enough but swore when I found it empty. Where had she gone? I _told_ her to stay put…

I look around, praying for some kind of clue, anything to hint where she had gone. Finally about a mile off I saw a small cottage. Grabbing my gun I raced toward it.

Not bothering to knock, I kicked in the door and rushed in. Before I could do anything the door slammed shut behind me and I was slammed against it, my gun flying out of my hands. I looked and saw a woman with long brown hair in a white dress holding her hands out. Her eyes were locked on me. I was frozen in place, despite my best effort to move. I saw Scully across the room. She was lying on the floor unconscious, her lips turning blue.

 _No._

"Stop!" I cried. "P-please… you have to stop, Hannah!"

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"I… I know everything about you. I know you were in love, and you were supposed to be married. But at the last minute he backed out. He didn't even have the decency to tell you… He just let you show up to your wedding alone until you realized he wasn't coming." I swallowed hard. "A-and… I'm sorry that he did that to you. You didn't deserve that, and he was a horrible person. B-but… but killing these women won't change what happened to you. It won't bring you peace…"

"'Bring me peace?'" she spat. "This isn't about peace! Why do you think I choose these women?" After a moment, she continued in a softer voice, "I'm not killing them. I'm saving them."

"How? They're dying!"

"They were all already dying!" she retorted. "I could feel their hearts… their broken hearts." She knelt beside Scully, studying her face. "They needed this. She needs this." Turning back to me she spat, "You come in trying to save her when you're the reason she's here!"

"… what?" I barely whispered.

"Who do you think _broke_ her heart?" Hannah demanded. "She has loved you for _years_ , and she has nothing to show for it. You use her when you want and push her away when you feel like it."

"N-no… you've… You've got it all wrong," I said.

"I saw her memories, _Agent Mulder_. I saw every time you left her alone, every time you set her aside for your own benefit."

"I _love_ her," I shouted. "'I've loved her since our first case together. I just never thought…" I swallowed. "I never thought someone as incredible as her could love someone like me… I only pushed her away so she would be safe."

"You men. You are all so blind."

"But you helped me see," I said. "I see now, and I promise you… I won't hide it from her. But please, stop… Let her go. Let me tell her…" I begged.

She appeared right in front of me. She held up her right hand and gently placed it on my heart.

I gasped as flashes of my life with Scully appeared before my eyes.

 _We shook hands for the first time in my basement office._

 _We laughed almost maniacally in pouring rain._

 _She held my hand before I went in to face Modell.  
"Mulder, no!" … "Mulder, yes!" …_

 _Scully pointed a gun at me, eyes wide with fear. "It's not the truth, Mom! He's lied to me from the beginning! He never trusted me." "Scully… you are the_ _only_ _one I trust."_

 _"_ _I love you." She rolled her eyes and turned to leave, simply replying, "Oh, brother."_

 _Auld Lange Sine played and the TV camera showed millions of people in Times Square, I turned to Scully. Our eyes locked. Slowly and gently I rested my lips on hers._

Suddenly the memories vanished. I heard Hannah gasp as she stepped back. After a moment, she whispered. "You… you _do_ love her."

"I do… _Please,_ Hannah. Let her go."

"Why would you keep that a secret? Why wouldn't you say anything?"

"I tried," I pointed out. "All she said was 'Oh brother.' I thought that meant she didn't feel the same way. I thought we were just good friends and… I wasn't willing to give that up to try for anything else."

"You didn't think she was as scared of her feelings as you were, that she didn't have the same fears?"

I shook my head. "No. B-but… look, if you let her go I _promise_ I will tell her. I'll shout it from the mountaintops… _Please._ "

After a moment's consideration, Hannah said, "I have two conditions."

"Anything you want… Name it."

"You must keep that promise to tell her. Let her know each morning when she wakes up and each night before she goes to sleep just how much you love her." I nodded in agreement. "The other condition is that you kiss me."

"… kiss you?"

"Kiss me as if I were her. So I can know just once what it's like to have someone who loves me kiss me." She locked eyes with me.

"And you'll let Scully go?"

She nodded. "I promise."

I nodded silently. I felt her release whatever spell was keeping me frozen. Slowly I stepped in front of her. I rested one hand on her chin, and then dipped my head to press my lips gently against hers. I shut my eyes, filling my mind with visions of Scully. After a moment, I drew back.

Hannah had shut her eyes too. Now she opened them and gently put her fingers to her lips. "Wow…"

"Now you have to keep your word," I shouted.

Hannah nodded. "I will. Before I do though, let me warn you: if you don't keep your first promise to me, I won't give you a second chance."

"I will," I insisted. "Let her go."

Nodding, Hannah erupted into a bright light that grew and filled the whole room. I shielded my eyes, and the light quickly disappeared again. The cottage was empty, except for Scully across the room.

I ran to her side. She still wasn't breathing.

 _No… God, no… Hannah, you promised. You fucking promised._

Suddenly Scully's eyes shot open and she gasped.

"Scully – Scully, it's me… It's okay; she's gone… Just breathe!"

" _Get it off!_ " She clawed at the dress, and I grabbed it and pulled it over her head. I threw it as far away from her and I could manage and wrapped my arms around her again. She was still gasping for air.

I rubbed circles on her back and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, Scully… I'm here. Just breathe…. Breathe with me." Finally after a few minutes her breathing was almost back to normal. Her skin was starting to return to its normal color. She was shaking, but she was okay.

"Mulder… how did you get rid of her?" she asked hoarsely.

"We'll talk about that later," I promised. "But right now… let's get you to a hospital to get checked out."

"No… I'm fine…" Despite that, she winced and rested her hand on her left rib.

"I'm not taking any chances," I said. "Come on."

Unwilling to fight with me, Scully nodded. I helped her up and walked with her to my car. Fortunately, we only spent a couple of hours in the hospital before we were able to go to the hotel at last. Scully's ribs were badly bruised, but with rest she would make a full recovery.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 (Scully's POV)

Mulder opened my hotel room door and stood aside to let me in. I made a beeline to the bed and collapsed on it. I was mentally and physically exhausted. Mulder set my bag down by the door. He headed to the desk and began to drag the chair over.

I chuckled slightly. "You know, you could sit next to me right here." With a slight smile, Mulder set the chair down and sat beside me. He pushed a few hairs out of my face and rested his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the warmth and comfort of that simple touch. Then I looked up at him. "You said you'd tell me what happened."

He looked down at the floor at that. "You want to go into that now?"

"No time like the present," I replied. He continued to avoid my eyes. "Mulder… what happened?" I asked, sitting up.

"What do you remember?" he asked.

After a moment's hesitation I answered softly, "She… she was an older woman, in her early fifties. She was beside the road when I stopped… I followed her because she had been staring at me. When we got inside the cottage… Well, I saw that dress. I felt this… this need to put it on. And by the time I realized what was happening… The dress was on and getting tighter…" At this she drew in two deep breaths. "The last thing I remember is seeing that she'd changed… I saw…" She hesitated, still not fully willing to believe. "… Was that Hannah?"

Mulder nodded. "Yes… but I was wrong about her."

Scully frowned. "She tried to kill me, Mulder… How were you wrong?"

"She…chose her victims for a specific reason," Mulder said with a tone that he was holding something back.

"What reason is that?" I demanded.

"Heartbreak," Mulder said softly.

My face immediately flushed. "But – " I began to protest, but I could tell from Mulder's expression that he knew. _Oh God…_ I looked down at the floor.

In barely a whisper, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?" I just shook my head with a slight shrug, unwilling to respond. "Did… did you honestly think I didn't feel the same?" I looked up at him. He turned to me, resting his hands on my cheeks. "I tried to tell you… when I was in the hospital. I have loved you for _years_. I didn't press it when you walked away because I wasn't willing to risk what we had if you didn't feel the same way. But if you need to hear it… _I love you, Scully_."

My eyes tearing up, I brought my hands to his cheeks. "And I love you. I'm sorry I walked away. I guess I was too afraid that you didn't understand what you were saying…" With that, he brought his lips to mine, more roughly and passionately than he had on New Year's Eve.


End file.
